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LET’S MAKE A DEAL

GOVERNMENT

After years of scrutiny and complex consultations with stakeholders, including a network of aboriginal organizations, the Ontario government has served up a new 20-year lease deal to the owners of 304 cottages in Algonquin Provincial Park, whose existing contracts expire this year.

The contracts promise cottagers time and flexibility to upgrade to meet new environmental regulations governing waste disposal, fuel storage, septic systems, and the use of pesticides and fertilizers. In certain cases, the improvements will have to be significant, as some leaseholders have been reluctant in recent years to spend on their cottages, given the uncertainty around the leases, according to Steve Jeffery, whose family has leased a rustic off-grid, boat-access cabin on Rock Lake since the 1950s.

About Cottage Life

Cottage Life kicks off the season with a Get-Ready Guide! 138 pages of inspiration and advice including our 2017 real estate trend report, timeless advice from seasoned cottager Roy MacGregor, 10 easy DIY jobs anyone can do, a primer on generators, easy tinnie hacks, a hard-working ATV trailer, tips for setting up the kitchen and simple opening up meals, plans for building a deer-proof planter box, and ideas for converting a trailer into a guest bunkie. Plus, the restoration of a 200-year old Cape Breton cottage, and how a couple scored a $59,000 dream cottage.